Goshert Has Our Backs
April 23, 2018 at 12:18 p.m.
Editor, TIMES-UNION:
The sheriff is the most important law enforcement officer in the county. It is the only law enforcement office defined in our Constitution, and the only one elected directly by We the People.
A good sheriff will cooperate with other law enforcement agencies, but a good sheriff will not be controlled by them.
That's an important distinction. We elect a sheriff to exercise independent judgment in representing our interests, which are not necessarily always the same as the interests of unelected law enforcement agencies.
When I see the statistics showing how frequently sheriff's department deputies cooperate with other agencies, and then I hear Kyle Dukes insisting that they never cooperate, it makes me wonder what's really going on. Is it really just cooperation that Dukes wants? Or could it be that he's signaling to some of his well-known supporters from other agencies that when he gets in office they'll have control over decisions that traditionally belong to the sheriff? That makes me a little nervous.
I like having Rocky Goshert as sheriff. He has always been a strong and independent leader who looks out for our interests. I'll be casting my ballot for him this May.
Sharon Reed
Mentone
Editor, TIMES-UNION:
The sheriff is the most important law enforcement officer in the county. It is the only law enforcement office defined in our Constitution, and the only one elected directly by We the People.
A good sheriff will cooperate with other law enforcement agencies, but a good sheriff will not be controlled by them.
That's an important distinction. We elect a sheriff to exercise independent judgment in representing our interests, which are not necessarily always the same as the interests of unelected law enforcement agencies.
When I see the statistics showing how frequently sheriff's department deputies cooperate with other agencies, and then I hear Kyle Dukes insisting that they never cooperate, it makes me wonder what's really going on. Is it really just cooperation that Dukes wants? Or could it be that he's signaling to some of his well-known supporters from other agencies that when he gets in office they'll have control over decisions that traditionally belong to the sheriff? That makes me a little nervous.
I like having Rocky Goshert as sheriff. He has always been a strong and independent leader who looks out for our interests. I'll be casting my ballot for him this May.
Sharon Reed
Mentone